What’s On

Tattersalls International Horse Trials and Country Fair combines the highest standard of equestrianism with good food, shopping, entertainment and family fun.

It is the Premier ‘International Event’ in Ireland. The sport Eventing combines three equestrian disciplines Dressage, Cross Country and Show Jumping. You don’t however have to be an equestrian guru to enjoy the weekend. The Country Fair runs from Friday to Sunday. The shopping village hosts over 90 stands exhibiting a range of products from clothing to crafts to food. There is something for everyone. Enjoy the picnic area by the water fence or feast on the delicious produce from the many artisan food producers and good food outlets. There are also a number of hospitality areas and bars open to everyone.

What is the Sport Eventing?

Eventing is the ultimate test of both rider and horse, requiring a single horse and rider combination to compete against other combinations across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping.

Dressage: Here the horse and rider perform a series of movements and change of pace, in front of 3 FEI qualified Judges [the Ground Jury] who mark the test in good points. These are then converted to penalty points which means the lower the score the better the combination has performed. Marks are awarded for the obedience, suppleness and responsiveness of the horse and the ability and technique of the rider. The skills needed for dressage form part of the basic training of any horse, and these skills are just as important in the jumping arena and on the cross-country course. For this reason, dressage is a vital part of the Three-Day Event.

The Cross Country: Is the second phase of the Event. This is a test of the speed, fitness, training and courage of both horse and rider. It is, undoubtedly, this element that presents the quintessential image of the sport and the phase on which the whole competition pivots. It demands a trusting partnership between horse and rider as they are faced with a course of fences that will include into water, over drops and through combination obstacles, which requires accurate riding. Their performance is timed so that riders have to learn to judge pace and speed and know the capabilities of their horse. Competitors are scored over each fence, accumulating penalty points for any mistake, as well as penalties for exceeding the time allowed.

Show Jumping: is the final phase of the competition. Following a ‘Horse Inspection’ to confirm that the horses are fit enough to continue, after the exertion of the previous day, the competitors are asked to perform over a course of show jumps. This is to demonstrate that they still have the energy, stamina and obedience to jump in a controlled and precise manner. Once again mistakes during the round are penalised. The Jumping Test is run in reverse order of placing, which means that the combination with the lowest cumulative score [and in the lead at this point] will be the last to jump, and thus at the culmination of a high-pressure competition, in which perfection in all three phases can prove elusive, even the most experienced rider can be effected by nerves and make an error in judgement, resulting in sliding down the placing. This formula gives the top honours in eventing, which are so difficult to achieve and mean that those who do are worthy winners.